MCLA

Timely Warnings and Critical Incident Notification (ASR)

MAAnnual Security ReportMCLA Critical Incident Notification Systemhigh confidence

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Annual Security Report brands a Critical Incident Notification System for immediate-threat messaging, names an Incident Commander (Director of Public Safety or designee) and an explicit multi-role activation authorization list (President through on-duty Campus Police supervisor), and documents semester testing with campus email announcements.

Read the official policy

Institution

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Public Bachelors · MA

~1,200 studentsMCLA Critical Incident Notification System

In the policy’s own words

What the policy says

Campus Police Timely Warning role and multi-channel deliveryverbatim

Timely warnings will typically come from the Department of Public Safety – Campus Police, as this department serves as the 24-hour, seven days a week operation on campus where reports of public safety related information are made. The department also has direct contacts with the North Adams Police and Fire Departments, as well as the Massachusetts State Police, in the event reports involving the safety of the campus community are made to them.

Named 24/7 Campus Police TW source and local LE partners.

MCLA ASR Timely Warnings

Safety Alert page among TW channelsverbatim

Students, faculty, and staff will be contacted regarding such timely warning(s) through a variety of different methods. These may include telephone calls, cell phone calls, voice-mail messages, text messages, e-mail announcements, community postings, local media sources such as television and radio, direct notification through staff, and website notifications, such as the one that can be found on the MCLA Department of Public Safety – Campus Police Safety Alert page at: https://www.mcla.edu/administration/public-safety/alerts.php .

Named Safety Alert page URL - institution-specific.

MCLA ASR Timely Warning channels

Incident Commander is Director of Public Safetyverbatim

As soon as practical, the responding officer(s) will contact the Incident Commander, who is the Director of Public Safety or their designee. The Incident Commander will then establish an Incident Command Post, activate the MCLA Critical Incident Response Team, gather information, and disseminate orders to ensure every action for the protection of life and property, alleviation of human suffering and hardship, and maintenance or restoration of essential facilities and services is taken.

Local Incident Commander title tied to Director of Public Safety.

MCLA ASR Critical Incident Response

Named multi-role Critical Incident Notification activatorsverbatim

The following MCLA staff has authorization to activate the Critical Incident Notification System:  President, Vice President or designee  Cabinet Members  Director of Public Safety, Incident Commander or designee  Critical Incident Response Team Members  On-Duty Campus Police Supervisor or Officer In-Charge

Explicit multi-role activation list including on-duty OIC.

MCLA ASR notification activation authorization

Without-delay life-safety exception and semester testingverbatim

Notifications involving immediate life safety issues may be sent without delay and without prior authorization from the highest level. Testing is completed on a semester basis and more extensively as determined necessary by the above campus entities. All tests are generally announced to the campus community based on the population and geographic areas to be tested via the campus email system.

Local without-delay life-safety rule and semester test cadence.

MCLA ASR timing and testing

At a glance

How this policy works

When it activates: Timely warnings for certain crimes that may pose an ongoing threat to the campus community or its property when deemed appropriate and necessary. Critical incident notifications for significant critical incident or other dangerous situation on campus involving immediate threat to health or safety of community members.
Who decides: Timely warnings typically from Department of Public Safety – Campus Police in conjunction with MCLA administration. Critical incident response: Incident Commander is Director of Public Safety or designee. Authorization to activate Critical Incident Notification System: President, Vice President or designee; Cabinet Members; Director of Public Safety, Incident Commander or designee; Critical Incident Response Team Members; On-Duty Campus Police Supervisor or Officer In-Charge. Campus-wide authorization from highest listed level practical.
Timeliness standard: Notifications involving immediate life safety issues may be sent without delay and without prior authorization from the highest level. Emergency responders only delay if professional judgment finds compromise of victim assistance or mitigation. Testing completed on a semester basis (more extensively as needed), generally announced via campus email.
Emergency notification vs. timely warning: ASR separates Timely Warnings (ongoing threat crimes) from Critical Incident Response and Notification (immediate threat system with protective-action content).
Testing cadence: Semester-basis testing of Critical Incident Response Plan and Critical Incident Notification Procedures by CIRT and Campus Police; generally announced via campus email based on population and geographic areas tested.
Scope & limits: Critical incident messages state type, date, time, location, protective actions, and where to get additional information. Safety Alert page at mcla.edu public-safety/alerts.php is a named distribution surface. Local partners include North Adams Police and Fire and Massachusetts State Police.

ChannelsSmsEmailPhone CallWebsiteUnknown

Analysis

Reading the policy

MCLA is a public bachelor's college in North Adams, Massachusetts. Its Annual Security Report is institution-specific: Timely Warnings typically issue from Department of Public Safety – Campus Police (24/7) with multi-channel delivery including a named Safety Alert web page. Critical Incident Notifications use a multi-method system stating type, date/time/location, and protective actions (evacuate, shelter in place, lockdown, stay away, run/hide/fight). Responding officers contact the Incident Commander (Director of Public Safety or designee), who establishes an Incident Command Post and activates the Critical Incident Response Team. Staff authorized to activate the notification system include President/VP or designee, Cabinet members, Director of Public Safety/Incident Commander, CIRT members, and the on-duty Campus Police Supervisor or Officer In-Charge. Campus-wide authorization comes from the highest listed level practical; immediate life-safety notifications may issue without delay without prior highest-level authorization. Testing is semester-based, generally announced via campus email.

Takeaways

Key findings

Critical Incident Notification System is the branded immediate-threat platform.

Incident Commander is the Director of Public Safety or designee.

Activation authority spans President through on-duty Campus Police OIC.

Semester testing is announced via campus email.

Policy, meet practice

When this system actually fired

1 documented time MCLA’s alert system was used, from the case archive.

Provenance

Sources

Clery ASR
Annual Security Report - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
mcla.edu
archived copy